We often think of how blessed we are to have the modern conveniences that we enjoy every day: electricity brings light at the flip of a switch, washing machines and dishwashers nearly eliminate what were once time-consuming chores, and air conditioning means even the hottest days can be spent in comfort. But are these things truly to our advantage? Sam Guzman at the Catholic Gentleman points out that they have actually contributed to unhappiness and discontent in his article Life’s Not Fair: Finding Joy by Accepting Things As They Are. Many little crosses have been eliminated by the relative ease of modern life, much to our disadvantage.
Even devotional habits can become too deeply engrained to be good for our souls. Duty Before Devotion by Señorita Rita at To be Valiant is to be Virtuous shares an excerpt from "At the Foot of the Cross" by Father Faber, which covers the delicate balance of this topic quite nicely.
Lastly for today, Catholic Harbor of Faith and Morals offers the edifying words of Archbishop Ryan (1891) on the apparent lack of earthly consequences for evildoers and rewards for those who live morally sound lives in Good and Evil. “So is it with the confusion we have been wondering at in the moral world--the confusion in the distribution of good and evil. Looked at from man's standpoint, there seems no unravelling its perplexities, it shows no sign of care or Providence; but seen at the point God sees it from--seen from the point where His Holy Spirit, not the Tempter, shows it to us, the confusion and perplexity vanish, and all is order and law, and beauty and love.”
